Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-04-02
PENNSYLVANIA DUTCH.
HONEST AS THE OAY IS LONG,
BUT VERY ExACTlNG.
The PrcnIiarities Of . Curious People.
Customs Before the War-OPposition to
side Alliances.

There - not n more curious people
under the sun than these same Pennsyl
yania Dutch farmers. Their ancestor,
We're the pioneer settlers i'll one Of the
most fertile sections of Pennsylvania, and
the supcrstitiuns, customs and antipathies
of the fathers are still held by the sons
The war Of the rebellion did more 10 disp"
the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dut' b
than ANYTHING in their history; but q
among them III the back countries, where
their farms ARE isolated from towns, and
you will find them still firm believers in
spooks witches and charms, and strong
in their doubts Of the necessity II com
mon schools They are as honest as the
| day is long. and the most close fisted and
exacting i'll bargain of any people i'll tho
world. Driving long distances to market,
they will haggle over a dime II. "A bargain
that involves probably the sale Of hun
drS,ls of dollars worth of produce, and if
us ssured by going ten miles farther they
will be able to sell their goods and make
the extra ten cents. they 'Sill not hesitate
a moment To take the journey. The extra
| time and labor they do not take into ac-
| count.
From the earliest days Of the Penn
| sylvania Dutch farmers they have re
gardcd menial service rs the duty of wo-
! men. IL is by no means an uncommon
! sight to see, in passing these back farm
ing regions, the women working in the
! fields as well as the men. not only hOeing
/ and harvesting, but following the plow
or harrow. This idea that women shall
have no mission beyond menial labor is
! well illustrated by the fact that many a
/ domestic drudge i'll the town families Is
| the daughter of some farmer rich enough
| To buy her employer over and over again.
/ ! have "A servant in my house whose father
/ is one of the best known Dutch farmers
| In eastern Lehigh county, and is worth at
! least $40. 900.
Before the war the old Dutch farmers
held TO the custom of their fathers which
prompted them to never refuse to extend
/ financial aid tn another. and that without
| exacting written obligation or interest.
II one farmer needed few hundred dol
lars he went 10 any ncighbOr whom he
knew had the money. The loan was at
once forthcoming. the borrower naming q
certain day and hour on which the money
would be repaid. II he failed 10 keep his
word he was forever in disgrace, and no
one was bound to respond To his request
for aid again. Defaults in payment OF
these unsecured ana unremunerative loans
were very rare, SO sacred was the verbal
contract held. The scarcity OF money that
came with the early years of the war, and
the premium that gold commanded, sent
spectators through the Pennsylvania
Dutch farming regions, and the cupidity
of the farmers was soon awakened, and
they for the first time began to realize
profit from the use Of their money. Then
the old custom of helping one another
without some return of the favor was
gradually abandoned, and the bond and
mortgage took its place. As the Dutch
farmers, As n class, are seldom in need Of
borrowing, and are suspicious Of outsiders
in making loans, the existence of fortunes
in stockings and coffee pots may be
further explained.
When the common school system was
first proposed. although it was the scheme
of Pennsylvania Dutch Legislators and ex
ecutives, the farmers We're a unit i'll Oppos-
ing it. After it was authorized by law
its machinery iii many Of the districts of
the Dutch counties necessarily passed into
the control Of its opponents. Their policy
was to establish as few schools as possible,
keep them open only fsw weeks in the
year and employ only such teachers as
were willing tU serve ut the lowest possible
y
their opposition TO the common school yet,
and will not accept its benefits. The con-
sequence is that there are whole communi-
ties where nothing but German is read
written or spoken. 1t is a characterisfr
OF the race to preserve their hnguar,
which is quaint combination OF Eng
AMI German.
The one great characteristic OF i',e
Pennsylvania Dutch is their regard for
and strict attendance at church. NJ
matter how far the nearest church may
be away. the farmer and his family never
miss a Sundays service \ man may
offend against law in other ways and
be forgiven, but if he neglectS his church
he is at once placed under the ban Of
society. The Pennsylvania Dutch are
proud of their party, and they adhere
closely TO old forms. They are the
seyerest of PiOtestants. Politicians
understand and Use his love Of church
among the farmers and candidate going
among them and making ostentatious
show of his church connections, and, being
able TO quote from the Scriptures, captures
the hearts and votes OF the simple minded
Dutchmen.
probably nowhere else in the country
are the social pastimes of the farmers pre-
served and indulged in to such an extent
As they are among the Pennsylvania
Dutch. The apple cut, the corn husking.
the quilting bee, the old fashioned country
dance furnish the amusement and recrea-
tion TO the buXom Dutch maidens and
lusty swains to-day as they did to those of
hundreds of years ago. The dances are
kept up from early evening until daylight. !
There is no going TO bed after n dance. /
The women 90 Mt once 10 their household .
duties and the men TO their labor in the /
field the same as if they had slept rs
usual, from candle light to candle light, !
according 10 the old Dutch custom. Work !
indoors and out begins rs soon Us there Is |
light enough TO see, and continues until it |
is too dark TO see, winter and summer.
"The Dutch families discourage and !
disapprove Of all marriages that will |
destroy the purity of their blood, and |
hence the marriages with members OF any |
other race are very rare. This accounts |
for the remarkable preservation of the |
language. the customs and the traditions |
of their forefathers among these people, |
surrounded as they are by influences Of |
the highest modern thought and example. |
But i'll spite of their eXcluSiveness, their |
tenacious adherence to ideas of Il century |
ago and stubborn resistance TO the |
advance Of those Of to-day, the lessons in |
integrity, industry, thrift and thorough |
ness which they have given have had a !
most beneficial effect, not only in the |
region which they have developed, but |
throughout the state as well, and Penn
sylvunia is hundretlfOld the better for .
their presence. Cor. New York Mail /
and Express
n ~ Will, opr Tbrnat ~